# What's in his pipe? - Captain Haddock



## Requiem (Dec 6, 2008)

Haddock is a character from Tintin comic books, by belgian artist Hergé.
His first appearance happens in "The Crab with the Golden Claws" (1941), the 8th book of the series and he remains present in all 15 other published adventures of Tintin.

A retired merchant-navy captain, Haddock is one of the most near-to-life characters of pre-60's comics. Alcoholic, short-tempered, clumsy and sarcastic, but also good-hearted, loyal and heroic.

Now, what tobaccos do you think he smoked, you ingrate ectoplasms, gherkins, ciclotrons, nyctalops, fellow pipe smokers?










Captain Haddock - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


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## Requiem (Dec 6, 2008)

I've spend a couple of hours going through Tintin books to check Haddock's pipe smoking habits.
He always smokes a straight billiard, although in his first appearance it looks more like a small pot. In the first few books his pipe seems to have a saddle stem, although in later books it is clearly a tappered stem. Haddock's pipe is as often depicted as being dark colored as it is as being light-brown, which leads to think that he owns more that one pipe. 
He is depicted lighting his pipe on several occasions, always using matches, and in "The Calculus Affair" he burns is fingers while doing it.
In "The Castafiore Emerald" he is seen filling his pipe directly from a cream coloured pouch.
Haddock smokes a pipe in all but 3 of the books.

Other ocasional characters are shown with pipes, almost all being straight billiards or apples (hard to tell). However, there is one smoking a poker in "The Secret of the Unicorn" and one puffing on a 3/4 bent shape in "The Seven Crystal Balls".



Yeah, I'm a nerd...


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## juni (Oct 16, 2009)

I had all the Tintin books as a kid, it was one of my absolute favorites. When I picture the captain smoking I immediately thought "something strong, like a rope".


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## thewileyman (Apr 14, 2009)

Thundering typhoons! Who are you calling an ectoplasm, you platypus?

Ahem.

I'd say he smokes an english blend. I waffled between that and a navy flake, but english seems right to me.


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## Jack Straw (Nov 20, 2008)

He seems tough and grizzled. I chose the rope.


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## indigosmoke (Sep 1, 2009)

I don't know much about the Captain, but if he is inclined to over indulge in intoxicating beverages I don't think he could resist the delicious rum tin aroma of After Hours Flake so I voted for Navy Flake.


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## Requiem (Dec 6, 2008)

My vote is for virginias, although a navy flake is also a good choise... this man likes his booze to be simple, pure and powerfull (lots of whiskey and cognac) and I guess he likes his smoke the same way... 
However, I don´t think he's a man for rope... he is a little more sofisticated than that, although he's an old sea wolf.


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## Requiem (Dec 6, 2008)

Alright, looks like Captain Haddock's go to blend is...










a flake with latakia and rum topping!

Although, back in the days, while crossing the seas and emptying two bottles of whiskey before lunch, Haddock's favorite used to be a strong rope tobacco.


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